Shift on Iraq bodes ill

Vice President Dick Cheney is again making the talk-show rounds in defense of President Bush's latest blunder in Iraq. He ponders whether Americans and Congress have "the stomach" to see a few thousand more U.S. soldiers die in Iraq for this pathetic misadventure of a war. One must admire the boldness of a man who has never been a soldier but has the right amount of intestinal fortitude so that he can fearlessly watch as others die to perpetuate his own and Bush's mistakes and miscalculations from the safety of his famous undisclosed location. He challenges his adversaries to come up with a better solution. If he had bothered to read the Iraq Study Group's suggestions or those of his generals, he would already have one.

KENNY FEUERMAN

Beverly Hills

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Re "Bush sees errors, stands by invasion," Jan. 14

The escalation of the Iraq war must not take place. This is nothing more than "stay the course" with more troops. We need to bring the troops home, and that is the plan everyone should be working on. Especially because all the reasons we went to war in Iraq have been false (weapons of mass destruction) or are now moot (Saddam Hussein).

In addition, we cannot allow this administration to start a new war with Iran or Syria. Bush is not used to oversight, but the people no longer trust that he is capable of making judgments in the nation's best interests. As a result, this Congress needs to grow some spine to protect us, and we must all stand behind Congress in this.

RAQUEL BRAC

Redlands

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Re "Democrats feel free to defy Bush on Iraq," Jan. 14

Twice within the past week The Times has used "defy" in headlines when reporting on the 110th Congress. Co-equal branches do not defy. Your unfortunate use of the word underscores the work this Congress must perform in order to reassert its constitutional role after six years of rubber-stamp Congresses.